Portable flashlight casing



Dec. 6, 1960 W.ZIEGENBE1N PORTABLE FLASHLIGHT CASING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 29, 1958 Inventor: h/i/fie/m zl'egenbein United States PatentPORTABLE FLASHLIGHT CASING Wilhelm Ziegenbein, I-Iameln (Weser),Germany, assignor to Licentia Patent-Verwaltuugs-G.m.b.H., Hamburg,Germany Filed Dec. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 783,509

Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 27, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl.Mil-10.65)

The present invention relates to portable or pocket flashlights of thetype including both the batteries and a recharging unit therefor housedin the casing of the flashlight.

It has been known to provide the flashlight caslng with prongs by meansof which the recharging unit can be connected to outlet boxes of AC.power-lines during the recharging operation. In some of the knownflashlights of this type, the prongs are covered during normal use ofthe flashlight by a cap-like head containing the electric lamp bulbthereof. Such design has the advantage that the space between theprojecting prongs is utilized for accommodating the bulb, so that theoverall length of the flashlight is not increased by the provision ofthese prongs. In these cases, the head is directly held on the prongswith the aid of spring means engaging notches on these prongs so as tosafely secure the head thereon. While this means for securing theflashlight head is simple and inexpensive, it is unsatisfactory,because, due to the securing of the head to the prongs, there is noassurance that the head will exactly seat on the casing of theflashlight. When the notches on the prongs are worn after extended useof these flashlights, a gap will appear between the casing and the headof the flashlight along the joining line therebetween and the loosenesswill impair the firm grip of the head on the flashlight casing.

It isan object of the present invention to provide a portable or pocketflashlight of this type and in which the foregoing disadvantages areavoided.

It is another object of the invention to provide the cap-like head ofthe flashlight with a rim having an interior bead adapted to yieldablyseat on a complementary undercut periphery on the front end of theflashlight casing, whereby the head is firmly supported on this casing.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide interengagingstructures by which the head is located in exact alignment on theflashlight casing.

It is a still further object of the present invention to mount theprongs displaceably in such a manner, that they can be retracted intothe flashlight casing when the head is placed on the front of thecasing, whereby these retractable prongs are held under spring actiontending to extend them outwardly. These prongs may be locked in theprojected and/or retracted positions by means of a locking mechanism.The head may besubstantially shorter if the prongs are retractable. Thishas the advantage that the moment of rotation, acting on the jointbetween the casing and the head when assembling the same on the casingand removing it therefrom, is relatively small.

Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of thepresent invention will become apparent from the detailed descriptiongiven hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by Way of illustration only,

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since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through the front end of aflashlight casing with the head assembled thereon, according to thepresentinvention;

Figure 2 shows a section through the head alone, taken along the lines2-2 of Figure 1;

,Figure 3 illustrates a section through the front end of theflashlighthousing alone, taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1, with this housingoperatively aligned with the head shown in Figure 2; a

Figure 4 shows a modified embodiment of the invention, illustrating inlongitudinal section the front end of a flashlight housing with the headassembled thereon.

Figure 5 illustrates a section through the modified embodiment of Figure4, taken along the lines 5-5 of said figure, parts of the flashlighthousing being shown in side view.

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 4 but shows the position of theparts with the head assembly removed; Figure 6 also shows the batteryand recharging circuit in schematic form.

V In Figure 1, an elongated, box-shaped flashlight casing 1, forexample, of plastic material, is provided in which batteries and theirrecharging unit are built in, in a manner known per se. These batteries,their recharging unit and circuit do not form part of the presentinvention and are omitted from Figure 1 to avoid crowding thereof. Thefront end of the casing 1 is provided with fixed prongs 2 extendingtherefrom in the direction of the axis of the casing and being adaptedand arranged to be introduced in conventional outlet boxes of AC. powerlines in a manner known per se. When the flashlight isin operativecondition, the prongs are covered by a box-shaped head 3, suitably madeof a single piece, for example, of plastic material, and having anopening in its center surrounded by a socket 12 in which a lens-typeelectric bulb 4 is held. Thislens-type bulb differs from an ordinaryincandescent lamp in that a lens 34 is fused into the front end of itsglass envelope, so that no separate lens is necessary. The threaded base5 of this lamp 4 is surrounded by a resilient sleeve 6, made of rubberor other resilient or elastic synthetic material, by means of which thelamp 4 is frictionally held in the socket 12 of the head 3. A bulgingportion 35 of the glass envelope of the bulb 4 engages a constriction 36in the socket 12 which ends at the front of the head 3 in a flaredrecess 37 widening towards the front end of the head. i

The cross sections of the flashlight casing'l and of the head 3 aresubstantially rectangular, as can be visualized from the differentsections illustrated in Figuresl to 3. The, rim of the lamp head 3 canbe seated on the front end of the flashlight casing 1 and is heldsecurely thereon, whereby the prongs 2 are covered by this lamp head 3.

When the batteries in the flashlight housing are to be recharged, thehead3 can be readily removed from the casing, whereupon the prongs 2 canbe inserted in an outlet box of an AC. power line of suitable voltage.After completion of the charging operation, the head 3 with the lamp 4can be placed again over the prongs 2 and the head assembled on theflash ight casing 1.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rim of the head 3 is provided on twoopposite sides with bead-like enlargements or skirts 7, extendinginwardly, while the front end of the flashlight casing 1 is undercut onrespective sides, whereby the undercut recesses or rims 8 of thesesides, are complementary to the heads 7. A beveled edge 9 at the outerrim of the front end facilitates the assembly of the head 3 on theflashlight casing 1, whereby, by application of a slight pressure on thehead 3 and the casing 1, the side walls of the head 3 will be somewhatdeformed, due to the resiliency of the plastic material of these walls.In the assembled position, the heads 7 of the head 3 engage the recesses8 on the flashlight casing 1, whereby the interengaging parts of thehead 3 and of the casing 1 act as detent means, preventing the head 3from being accidentally removed from the casing 1. In order to removethe head 3 from the housing 1, the head 3 is pulled from the casing 1,whereby the slanting faces of the beads 7 and of the recesses 8facilitate the disengagement. The outer dimensions of the side wall ofthe head 3 and of the casing 1 conform with one another, so that, whenthis head 3 is assembled on the flashlight casing 1, a flush fit ofthese parts is obtained without gaps. The bead-like enlargements 7 andtheir respectively cooperating complementary undercut recess 8 on thefront end of the casing 1 are provided only on two opposite sides, asshown in Figures 2 and 3, while the two remaining side edges of the head3 and the casing 1 are flat or straight, whereby the straight edges 38of the head 3 form a skirt which seats on a complementary recessedportion of the front end of the casing 1, as illustrated in Figure 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, prongs 22 are retractably mountedin a flashlight casing 40, so that a lamp head 23 can be made shorter asonly a short length of the prongs 22 has to be received therein. Therespectively engaging detent parts of the head 23 and the flashlightcasing 40, i.e., the bead and the complementary recess are substantiallythe same as in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3.

In contrast to Figures 2 and 3, the prongs 22 in Figure 4 are providedwith elongated portions 14, extending in the direction of the axis ofthese prongs 22 and are slidably mounted in transverse flange portions21 inside the casing 40. Helical springs 15, mounted on the extensions14 and seating between the flange portions 21 and shoulders 16 at eachjoint between the extensions 14 and the prongs 22, tend to move theseprongs 22 outwardly. When the head 23 is assembled on the flashlightcasing 1, as shown in Figure 4, the force of the springs 15 is overcome,because the upper or free ends of the prongs 22 are engaged and theprongs are pushed back by the inner wall of this head 23, whereby thehead is safely retained on the flashlight casing 1 under the tension ofthe detent means 7 and 8.

When the head 23 is removed from the flashlight housing 40, the prongs22 are displaced outwardly under the action of the helical springs 15and the final positions of the prongs 22 are limited by the shoulders 16engaging the inner surface of the front wall of the flashlight casing40. When the prongs 22 have arrived at their most forward positions, asshown in Figure 6, a locking plate 17 is released, which is acted uponby a helical spring 18 tending to move it to the left and, thereby, lockthese prongs 22 with the plate 17 then underlying them. The prongs 22can now be inserted without sliding inwardly in an outlet box of an AC.powerline of suitable voltage for recharging of the batteries 41 insidethe flashlight casing 40. As a result, the recharging circuit, shownschematically at 42, is connected across the AC. source by way of thecontact strips 45 and 46 which engage the springs 15.

After completion of the recharging operation and removing of theflashlight from the outlet box, the plate 17 which, in locking position,extends outwardly from the side of the flashlight casing 40 at 20,through an opening therein, can be manually depressed to overcome theforce of the spring 18, thereby returning the locking plate 17 to theposition shown in Figure 4. While the locking plate 17 is in depressedposition, the head 23 is placed on the front end of the flashlighthousing 1 pushing back the prongs 22, i.e., returning them to theposition shown in Figure 4. After the beads on the head have beensnapped into the recesses of the flashlight casing, the head 23 isfirmly retained thereon. The prongs 22 are kept in their depressedposition by the head 23.

After the head 23 (Figures 4 and 5) has been placed back on the casing40, the light bulb can, by closing the switch 47, be energized by thebattery 41 by way of the leads 48 and 49.

I claim:

1. A portable flashlight unit comprising a casing member and a headmember, said casing member housing batteries and a recharging unittherefor and having prongs connected to said recharging unit forinsertion in an outlet box of a power line during recharging, said headmember being formed with a socket housing a bulb and being removablyattached to said casing member in a position wherein said bulb iselectrically connected to said batteries and wherein said head membercovers said prongs and forms together with said casing member a completeflashlight unit, the removable attachment being constituted exclusivelyby one of said members having an undercut rim and the other of saidmembers having a skirt of a shape complementary to that of said rim,said skirt being resilient and having inwardly extending bead meanswhich are received by said undercut rim for removably securing said headmember to said casing member, whereby the mechanical connection betweensaid head member and said casing member is effected exclusively by theinteraction of said skirt and rim.

2. A portable flashlight unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said onemember is said casing member and said other member is said head member.

3. A portable flashlight as set forth in claim 1, further comprisingmeans for retractably mounting said prongs in said casing member, saidlast-mentioned means comprising an elongated portion on each prongreciprocably engaged in an associated bore in the casing member; springmeans between each prong and the casing member and urging the prongsoutwardly; the prongs being retained in retracted position when the headis on the casing member.

4. A portable flashlight unit as set forth in claim 3, furthercomprising locking means in the casing member and underlying the prongsto prevent retracting thereof, said locking means having releasing meanspermitting manual releasing of said locking means.

References titted in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS2,642,520 Coolidge et al June 16, 1953 2,880,306 Witte Mar. 31, 1959FOREIGN PATENTS 525,457 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1940

